The big names are getting younger at the same time the infantilisation of sport grows apace
A 14-year-old has been taking the Indian Premier League by storm. A 17-year-old may win this year’s Ballon d’Or. Last month another 17-year-old became the youngest winner of a Formula Two race. In darts the last world champion was 17, a 14-year-old just became the youngest winner of a World Darts Federation event and this week the promoter Barry Hearn described watching a prodigy who “had a 106 average and checked out 140 and 154”. He was only 10. The 14‑year‑old Polish snooker player Michal Szubarczyk is about to become the sport’s youngest ever professional. In this context it is a little hard to complain about the infantilisation of sport. And yet.
For all its recent Netflix-promoted virality, motor racing has always seemed an unusually grown-up pastime. For 75 years Formula One has given us strength, skill, drama and occasional scandal, heroes and villains, bravery and tragedy. A global survey in 2021 found the average age of the sport’s fanbase was 32, but in 2022 84% of the people who watched the British Grand Prix on Channel 4 (and 68% of those watching on Sky) were aged 35 or over. Which made it only more jarring when its administrators started to obsess over schoolyard distractions such as swearing and underpants.
With England’s Lions away in Australia, selecting a callow squad would bring pitfalls as well as opportunities
When Warren Gatland named his British & Irish Lions squad to tour New Zealand in 2017 he included 16 England players. Stalwarts such as Dylan Hartley, Chris Robshaw, Joe Launchbury and George Ford were still notable absentees but England had won the previous two Six Nations titles, 17 of Eddie Jones’s first 18 matches and, accordingly, their contingent was substantial.
The very next day Jones named his England squad for a tour of Argentina. He refused to engage in the merits of the selected Lions touring party but at the time you sensed Jones did not particularly like Gatland hogging the spotlight. England might have lost their most recent match, against Ireland in Dublin, denying them another grand slam, but the Australian was still basking in an extended honeymoon period and all eyes were on his old adversary. Jones proceeded to make a statement with his squad selection and it did not feel like coincidence that he was doing so 24 hours after Gatland.
Brunson and Towns were among the Knicks stars on the night [Getty Images]
The New York Knicks eliminated defending NBA champions Boston Celtics from the play-offs with a 119-81 victory to reach their first Eastern Conference finals in 25 years.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby led the way with 23 points apiece as the Knicks completed a 4-2 series victory to set up a showdown against fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers for a place in the NBA finals.
The Knicks will open the seven-game series at home at 01:00 BST on Thursday.
Six Knicks players finished in double figures with the 38-point success the largest winning play-off margin in franchise history.
Mikal Bridges had four three-pointers in his 22 points while Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 and Josh Hart finished with a triple-double of 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
The Celtics, who lost star forward Jayson Tatum to a ruptured right Achilles tendon in game four, which is likely to keep him out for around nine months, had given themselves hope after winning game five.
But in front of a Madison Square Garden home crowd, which included celebrities Timothee Chalamet, Lenny Kravitz, Ben Stiller and Spike Lee, the Knicks were in a ruthless mood.
They led 26-20 after the first quarter but did most of the damage in the second, outscoring their opponents 38-17 to take a 64-37 lead into the break to all but end the Boston challenge.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics scoring with 20 points, with Al Horford adding 10 points and Payton Pritchard finishing with 11.
Derrick White, who scored 34 points in game five, was kept quiet with just eight points.
Actor Timothee Chalamet was a keen spectator at Madison Square Garden [Getty Images]
Brunson is following in a family tradition in the play-offs, with his father Rick a member of the New York team that last played in the Eastern Conference finals in 2000.
"This is great," he said. "I mean, the fact that we haven't been here since my dad was on the team - he's not gonna like that - but it means a lot to this organisation and this city.
"In game five Boston got the best of us and we responded tonight. We just found a way to keep making plays on the defensive side, the offence was just rolling."
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau felt his team had delivered a complete performance against the reigning champions.
"I thought from start to finish we were terrific," he said.
"The Celtics are a terrific team on both sides of the ball. They play their style no matter what, and so they're not going to hand you anything. You have to earn it. And I felt we did that.
"But we can't get carried away. Obviously it's a great win and we advance. But you also understand that you have to get ready for the next series. We know that Indiana is a terrific team and we're going to have to be ready."
Despite the defeat, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla praised his team.
"At the end of the day, we set a goal out and we didn't achieve that goal," he said.
"But that shouldn't take away from the mindset and effort that the players put in - the approach, the process, you can't ask for anymore from the guys. I thought they gave everything they had throughout the season."
In August, Jalen Brunson was at MSG for a ceremony to celebrate his team captaincy.
Bruson spoke that day about the influence of his parents, Rick and Sandra. He talked about the team-friendly extension that he’d signed a few weeks earlier. He also touched on his goals for the coming season.
One of them?
“How we can get past the second round,” he said.
For most of the 2024-25 season, it seemed like the Knicks had no chance to advance beyond Round 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs. They’d be facing either the Cavs or the Celtics -- two teams that beat them soundly in the regular season.
So logic told you that the Knicks’ 2024-25 season would end in the same way the previous two had: a loss in the second round.
Obviously, that logic flew out the window over the past two weeks.
The Knicks reached Brunson’s preseason goal by overcoming 20-point deficits to win Games 1 and 2 on the road. They closed the series on Friday night thanks, in part, to stout team defense.
Knicks fans were celebrating outside of The Garden -- cell phones capturing every moment for social media -- after the win.
Inside the building, the Knicks weren’t interested in toasting their success.
“I feel like we have a long way to go,” Brunson said. “Just the confidence we have in each other and everything. Just knowing who we are. We tend to be unsatisfied.”
The Knicks certainly weren’t satisfied with how things unfolded in Boston on Wednesday. They had a chance to put the Celtics away in Game 5 and fumbled it away with an unfocused effort.
“The whole day of Game 5, it just wasn’t us,” Brunson said. “And we knew that, we reflected on it, and we came back and we said, ‘We need to be ready, we need to be better.’”
Several players mentioned the film sessions and a meeting between Games 5 and 6 as catalysts for what you saw on Friday.
“We had to talk it out, (figure out) how to communicate better,” Miles McBride said of the message from the meeting. “And I feel like we just went out there with a different type of energy.”
The energy started with an early lift from Karl-Anthony Towns. After a quiet night in Game 5, Towns was aggressive early against Boston. He and the Knicks took advantage of Boston’s decision to put a smaller defender on Towns. They found Towns in transition and found success in five-out lineups.
“That helped set the tone for the game,” said Tom Thibodeau. “… He got established (offensively), and then the rebounding and his pick-and-roll defense was outstanding. We were able to play off that.”
New York got contributions from all over the roster on Friday. Josh Hart had a triple-double. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby both had 20-plus points and helped stifle Boston all night. Brunson had 23 points and six assists. New York was plus-seven on the offensive boards and kept Boston in check on the perimeter (the Celtics were 8-for-30 on threes in the first three quarters).
“The way we prepared, the way we talked out there, the way we made it an emphasis to have each other’s back and to continue to cover for each other (was important),” Brunson said. “It’s focused on the defensive side of the ball, and when we’re doing that and offense, we’re flowing.”
They hope to keep flowing into Game 1 of the ECF on Wednesday. The Knicks will have a few days to prepare for the Pacers. Maybe they’ll even take some time to celebrate the win over Boston. But the focus will quickly turn to Indiana.
“There’s more to do,” Bridges said. “We’re not done. We came out there tonight to play hard and handle business, but our season’s not over. We’ve got so much more to do.”
Friday night saw the Knicks slay a number of metaphorical dragons during this playoff run. Game 6 was the first series-clinching win at home in 25 years, which was also the amount of time it's taken for the Knicks to make it back to the Eastern Conference Finals.
But Josh Hart also accomplished a feat not seen in a Knicks uniform in over 50 years.
Hart scored 10 points, came down with 11 rebounds and dished 11 assists all with a black eye suffered by an errant elbow in Game 5. It's Hart's 10th triple-double this season (including playoffs), but it's his first career triple-double in the postseason. In fact, it's the Knicks' first playoff triple-double since Walt Frazier in 1972 -- fitting considering how Hart eclipsed Frazier's franchise mark for triple-doubles in a season this year.
"He's the heart of the team," Frazier said on the MSG broadcast. "The black eye, he was undaunted by that. The good rebounding. he grows on you. You just watch him, he does whatever it takes to win the game. He doesn't worry about the points....he's the heart of the team."
"He impacts the game in a lot of different ways and people get stuck on ‘well, he didn’t shoot the ball or he didn’t do this.’ Josh, what he is is he’s a basketball player," coach Tom Thibodeau said of Hart after the game. "It’s transition, it’s the pace, playing out of the pocket, making corner threes. Dribble handoff, hustle plays, offensive rebounds and defensively just being everywhere and coming up with big rebounds.
"When you play with that kind of effort, it’s inspiring to a team."
Hart's inspiring play was on full display in Game 6. Whether it was crashing to the hoop before kicking out to an open man beyond the arc, or taking it to the basket himself for an and-one. The third-year Knick brought the effort, and it was infectious.
Effort -- or the lack thereof -- was a big talking point after Game 5's loss. Jalen Brunson, Hart, and others criticized how they played in that game, especially letting a nine-point lead in the second quarter devolve into a 25-point loss. The Knicks were determined not to let that happen again.
So, what worked for the Knicks on Friday night? Communication.
"We have to end quarters right, and that’s something that we did and we were able to pick it up in the second, get stops, run and play Knick basketball," Hart explained. "Everyone played well, everyone talked, everyone communicated. Made plays offensively and defensively. That’s something we preach all the time is ending quarters strong."
They'll have to keep that communication and effort when they take on the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers eliminated the Knicks in the second round last season after seven games. But this Knicks team has another streak to break in mind. Going to their first NBA Finals in 25 years.
Angels third base Yoán Moncada celebrates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning of a 6-2 win over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers entered the weekend with the best record in the National League. The Angels are last in the American League West.
Clearly there’s more than 30 miles of freeway separating the two teams. So you’d think the Angels would look at this weekend’s Freeway Series as a chance to measure themselves against the best.
“I don't think like that,” he said testily. “We all know to get to that level, that's when you become a championship team. So I'm not going to stick it to my players by saying that, ‘you know, we need to be at the level’.
“We don't have what they’ve got over there. It's easy for them to stay at that level. We have to compete at the level of talent that we have and grow from there.”
In that case, Washington’s team did a lot of competing and growing Friday when right-hander Jack Kochanowicz pitched the Angels to a 6-2 win over the Dodgers in the first regular-season meeting of the season between the Southern California rivals.
The night before the Dodgers (29-16) had scored 19 runs. Against the Angels they had just seven hits — while hitting into five double plays, matching a franchise record.
Angels pitcher Jack Kochanowicz delivers against the Dodgers in the first inning Friday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
As Washington spoke from his seat in the Angels dugout before the series opener, Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, who have four MVPs awards between them, took batting practice. Only two players in Washington’s lineup had even made an All-Star team.
So if the Angels (18-25) aren’t at that level, what level are they at?
“We should be at least fighting for a chance in the middle of the pack,” Washington said. “But the injuries and the people that we lost and the things that's been happening with our youth, just got us where we are.
“The day will come,” he added. “that we can get to that level where I feel like we can compete for a championship.”
The Dodgers are already at that level, of course. They lead the majors in hitting (.271), slugging (.479), OPS (.825) and runs (259). Ohtani hit his MLB-leading 16th home run Friday.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani tosses his bat after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning Friday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
And the team, Roberts said, isn’t even complete yet. Clayton Kershaw returns from the injured list Saturday, but they’re still missing starters Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki, outfielder Teoscar Hernández and infielder Tommy Edman.
“There's some reinforcements coming that we intended to have,” Roberts said. “It's going to get better here in the next couple of weeks.”
That will force Roberts to make some difficult decisions. With Edman expected to rejoin the team Sunday, the Dodgers will have to decide what to do with rookie Hyeseong Kim, who had his third straight multi-hit game and is hitting .452 in Edman’s absence.
Kim said he can’t worry about that.
"I'm just going to play baseball. When I'm on the field I'm just going to play my baseball, try to get on base,” he said through an interpreter. “It's hard to speculate, hard to predict what's going to happen in the future.”
"It's been fun,” he added. “It's not an easy opportunity to have, so I'm really having fun right now."
Kershaw’s return will bolster a rotation missing three starters to injury, especially with Dustin May struggling. The right-hander, winless in his last five outings, gave up six hits and four runs over five innings.
Dodgers pitcher Dustin May delivers against the Angels in the first inning Friday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“I definitely wish I could contribute a little bit better than I'm contributing right now,” said May, who had a season-high eight strikeouts. “Hopefully it turns around. I’m definitely not doing what I expected.”
The Angels rotation, meanwhile, is giving Washington more than he might have expected. Kochanowicz (3-5), who allowed just one run on five hits over season-long 6 2/3 innings, has won his last two games. Angels starters have held opponents to three or fewer runs in 16 of the last 17 games.
“We're not going to stop competing,” Washington said. “I don't think they take one day into the next. I haven't seen them take one day into the next.”
Yoán Moncada's first-inning homer, his third of the season, gave the Angels the early lead and they never looked back, despite striking out 15 times.
The Dodgers threatened to make it interesting in the eighth when Ohtani belted a long homer — his fourth in three games — into the batter’s eye beyond the center-field wall off reliever Ryan Zeferjahn. But the Angels answered with a two-run single by Nolan Schanuel in the ninth.
Notes: The Dodgers summoned right-hander Ryan Loutos from triple-A Oklahoma City to give them a fresh arm after left-hander Justin Wrobleski threw four scoreless innings to earn the win in Thursday’s rout of the A’s. Loutos made his Dodger debut in the ninth inning, giving up two runs. ... Hernández, out since May 6 with a groin strain, is expected to make a rehab assignment with single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday and could be reactivated Monday.
Angels outfielder Mike Trout, who went on the injured list May 2 with a left knee injury, did some throwing Friday and is continuing to progress in his rehab, but Washington said the team has no date for his return.
Knicks fans have a complicated relationship with Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis.
On one hand, they are upset with his unfulfilled potential and not being "the guy" to bring the franchise to the next level after they drafted him in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft. Of course, injuries and inept front office folks had a part to play in that, but after some time had passed, whenever Porzingis would come to MSG, whether as a Dallas Maverick or Washington Wizard, he was looked upon fondly by Knicks fans.
And now, as the Celtics' season ended after a 119-81 defeat in Game 6 on Friday night, Porzingis had some interesting comments about the fans and the city.
"Honestly, the support from the Knicks' fans was through the roof tonight and all throughout the playoffs," Porzingis said. "Unbelievable fans, unbelievable city. There's a side of me that's very, very happy for them. I wish them nothing but the best. They're class players we played against and they've done great things, and I wish them nothing but success."
Porzingis finished with four points, five rebounds and one block in 11 minutes of playing time on Friday night. It was the last of a sad slate of games from Porzingis, who has been battling an illness that he has not been able to kick. It affected his play so much that Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis couldn't breathe during Game 5's win on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old said he will take the offseason to get better, let his "immune system even itself out" and come back stronger for the next season. However, who he plays for next year is in question.
Although Porzingis has one more year on his contract with the Celtics, Boston could be looking to retool. Salary cap limitations and the fact that Jayson Tatum will likely not play next season could change Boston's plans. With a title with the Celtics under his belt, Porzingis could see himself back in New York -- he's said so in the past.
But that's speculation for another time.
Porzingis finished his second season in Boston, averaging 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 blocks per game across 42 contests. And while Knicks fans celebrate their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, Porzingis' future is unknown. Porzingis was asked if he's thought about how next season's team could look very different, and he wanted to focus on tonight.
"I haven't thought about that too much. we've been locked in on the playoffs," he said. "We'll see what the future holds. Right now we're just digesting this loss."
"The support from the Knicks fans was through the roof tonight and all throughout the playoffs. Unbelievable fans, unbelievable city and there's a side of me that's very very happy for them"
The Knicks were 0-4 against the Boston Celtics in the regular season but went 4-2 when it mattered. Their lop-sided 119-81 win in Game 6 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden propelled them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, and sent the reigning champs home after an emphatic end to the series.
"To me, it's not about our guys -- they did everything they could," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. "You've got to tip your hat off to the Knicks. They played a great series. They've been great all year. [Tom Thibodeau] is a great coach, so you've got to tip your hat off to them."
The Celtics lost leading scorer Jayson Tatum to a torn right Achilles in Game 4, leaving Jaylen Brown and Derrick White to shoulder the load. White scored a game-high 34 points in Boston's 127-102 Game 5 win, but finished Game 6 with only eight on 3-of-11 shooting.
"Losing to the Knicks feels like death, but I was always taught that there's life after death," said Brown, who dropped a team-high 20 points on 8-of-20 shooting in Game 6 before fouling out in the third quarter. "We'll get ready for whatever's next -- whatever's next in the journey, I'll be ready for."
After a battle-tested Eastern Conference semifinals, the Knicks now turn the page to hosting Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers, scheduled for next Wednesday at 8 p.m.
"We knew we would have to play 48 minutes against them," Thibodeau said. "They're terrific on both sides of the ball. They play their style no matter what. They're not going to hand you anything. You have to earn it. I thought we did that."
There was a crossroads moment for Yankees starter Carlos Rodón on Friday night when he buckled slightly in the fourth inning with a comfortable lead against the crosstown rival Mets in the opener of a super-charged Subway Series at Yankee Stadium.
Rodón opened the frame by walking Juan Soto and, judging by the southpaw's body language, he appeared to disagree with some of the ball-strike calls in that particular at-bat.
He then managed to strikeout Pete Alonso, but gave up consecutive singles that yielded one run. One out later, the veteran left-hander walked Francisco Alvarez on a full count to load the bases.
At times during his tenure in pinstripes, Rodón has come undone in moments like these, as one foul inning has grown into a game-ruining blotch. This time, however, he threw a 95 mph fastball to get Luisangel Acuña to fly out to right field, ending the inning. Crisis averted and the Yankees went on to beat the Mets, 6-2, in large part because of Rodón’s performance.
If this is the kind of grit Rodón can show all year, the Yankees may have another ace-level lefty they need for a deep postseason run. The stuff is clearly there -- he's exceptionally hard to hit.
After giving up one run and two hits in five innings against the Mets, Rodón (5-3) has allowed four hits or fewer in nine of his 10 starts this season. That’s the most such starts in MLB. In six of those starts, he’s allowed three hits or fewer. Opposing hitters are batting just .167 against him, the best mark in the majors.
“Good stuff again,” is how Yankees manager Aaron Boone described Rodon’s outing. “They made him work for it, really drove [his pitch count] up there. … All in all, five strong innings of one-run on a night when they pressured him, made him work, and he made some really big pitches when he needed to.”
Rodón induced 15 swings and misses on the night -- the Mets swung at 11 sliders and missed seven times. He also got some help when first baseman Paul Goldschmidt sprinted in the outfield to snare a pop fly hit by Tyrone Taylor to open the fifth inning. It was a sparkling play that helped Rodón get through his final inning, which he finished with a second strikeout of Alonso.
“That was a lot of range for, I think, a 37, 38-year-old,” a smiling Rodón said of Goldschmidt, who is in fact 37. “That's a heck of a play.”
In six starts since April 18, Rodón is 4-0 with a 1.72 ERA. During this span, he’s allowed just 21 hits and 12 walks while striking out 44.
“I thought Carlos was really good,” said teammate Cody Bellinger, who went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. “He’s mixing it really well and lately he’s been pounding the zone. He’s got a bunch of really good pitches, so it’s just kind of difficult to hit him if he’s on.”
Rodón likely would’ve pitched deeper into the game, but his pitch count soared as the Mets took careful at-bats. He came out after the fifth having thrown 102 pitches (60 for strikes). Rodón also walked his former teammate Soto three times.
“I was trying to get him to swing and miss every time,” Rodón said. “And he was, as he always is, real patient. He knows his zone. I wanted to get him.”
Of the Mets overall, he said, “They drove up the pitch count and had some good at-bats, but we got out of there with a win.”
And with a prime example of Rodón squashing that one moment of trouble that once might have bedeviled him, that’s huge for a Yankees squad with lofty goals.
The Knicks dominated the defending champion Boston Celtics en route to a 119-81 win in Game 6 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
New York hasn't seen their Knicks clinch a playoff series at home since 1999, which is coincidentally the last time they went to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks slayed both marks on Friday night and did so in convincing fashion. They allowed just 37 first-half points and proceeded to give the Celtics the most lopsided loss in an elimination game by a defending champion in NBA history (38 points).
After the Game 6 win, Knicks fans, celebrities and the basketball world shared their reactions online:
The scenes outside Madison Square Garden as the Knicks advance to the Eastern Conference Finals pic.twitter.com/h4d3N4QdVQ
There's just something about the return of warmer weather that seems to always give Tylor Megill the chills.
The month of May simply hasn't been too kind to the right-hander throughout his career, and his late spring woes continued in the Mets' 6-2 loss to the crosstown rival Yankees on Friday night in the Bronx. Megill lasted only 2.2 innings, allowing four runs on four hits with a season-worst five walks.
While the 2025 season is still relatively young, Megill has already seen the peaks and valleys. After producing a laudable 1.09 ERA across his first five starts, he's allowed 15 runs over his last four outings (18.2 innings), bumping his ERA to 3.74.
But back to the warmer weather conundrum -- Megill now owns a career 6.41 ERA between the May and June stretch. This mark is in stark contrast with his career ERA between the March and April window, which sits at 2.45.
"Four walks in an inning, that ain't gonna cut it. I mean, that's bascially what happened tonight," Megill said after the loss. "I got into a tough situation, tried to make some pitches for chase, keep the score close. Ended up walking quite a few that inning. I feel like I made some good quality off-speed pitches, trying to implement some chase. But the fastball was kind of all over today."
Megill's mess was created in the third inning, as the Yankees brought 10 batters to the plate and produced four runs with help from some weak contact and defensive blunders.
The most frustrating moment came on a grounder up the middle from Paul Goldschmidt with the bases loaded and one out. Francisco Lindor snagged the hard chopper, but short-hopped the throw to Pete Alonso that bounced high off his glove at first and landed near the lip of the grass in right field. The infield single broke the scoreless tie and the throwing error allowed a second run to reach home.
But four of Megill's five free passes came in the same frame, and that traffic on the bases forced Mets manager Carlos Mendoza to pull the plug much earlier than expected. Of the 72 pitches thrown by Megill, only 37 were for strikes. That's an inadequate ratio.
"He lost the strike zone. He didn't throw enough strikes," Mendoza said of Megill. "When you're doing that against an offense like these guys, they're going to make you pay. It just comes down to executing. He kept going to that slider in that inning and couldn't throw it for a strike. It's as easy as filling the zone with quality pitches, and we didn't do that today. ... He'll get through it. The stuff is there."
Megill will look to rebound next Wednesday in a tricky road matchup against the Red Sox.
The Toronto Maple Leafs forced Game 7 against the Florida Panthers for a chance to play in the Eastern Conference final.
The Maple Leafs beat the Panthers 2-0 Friday, with goaltender Joseph Woll recording his first playoff shutout. Auston Matthews broke a 0-0 deadlock in the third period with his first-ever goal past Game 4 of a playoff series. Veteran Max Pacioretty also scored to give Toronto a cushion, and the Leafs sealed the deal to play a winner-takes-all contest on Sunday.
During the Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner era since 2016-17, the Maple Leafs have never won a Game 7. They’ve played in five Game 7s, and all were in the first round.
“It’s what you want to play for, and especially when you’re going down 3-2 into an away building, you want to bring your best, and I thought we did,” Marner told reporters post-game. “The job’s only going to get harder, so can’t be satisfied. Got to take care of yourself, take the rest you need, and be ready for a hard game.”
Toronto last played a Game 7 just over a year ago, on May 4, 2024, at TD Garden in Boston. They lost to the Boston Bruins when David Pastrnak scored the overtime-winner. The Bruins sent the Leafs home in Game 7 three times in the Matthews and Marner era.
In the 2021-22 playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning got the best of the Leafs. Nick Paul scored both daggers against them in a 2-1 Bolts win.
One of the most memorable Game 7 defeats was against the Montreal Canadiens in 2021. The Maple Leafs finished first in the all-Canadian division during the shortened season, but they blew a 3-1 series lead to the Canadiens. Montreal went on to advance to the Stanley Cup final.
In 2018 and 2019, the Bruins handled their business against the Maple Leafs in Game 7, with 7-4 and 5-1 victories.
Toronto’s star players have been called upon for the big moments, but they haven’t delivered to their standards.
In five Game 7s, Matthews has no goals and three assists. He’s recorded at least a point in the team’s last three Game 7s. As for Marner, he also hasn’t scored a Game 7 goal and recorded two assists.
William Nylander has had better numbers when the season is on the line. He’s scored two goals and two assists in the five Game 7s.
As a team, the Maple Leafs have scored just one goal in each of their last four Game 7s.
All eyes will be on their top forwards to produce when the lights are their brightest. Additionally, it could reflect whether Marner re-signs with Toronto in the off-season.
Game 7 between the Maple Leafs and the Panthers will be on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Fans rose to their feet for Juan Soto's Yankee Stadium return in a rare standing jeer, and he responded by taking off his helmet, tipping it to the crowd and touching it against his heart.
Having spurned the Yankees' riches for the Mets' even greater fortunes, Soto was the center of attention back in the Bronx, wearing bright orange wristbands that could be spotted from the farthest seats.
“I talked to him a couple of days ago and he’s ready. He knows what’s coming,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said before Friday night's 6-2 Subway Series loss to the Yankees. “He’s just got to enjoy it, embrace it and be himself.”
Soto walked in his first three plate appearances, scoring on Brandon Nimmo's single in the fourth, grounded out in the seventh and hit a game-ending flyout with two on. He made a weak three-hop throw home on Anthony Volpe's 243-foot sacrifice fly.
When Soto jogged to right field for the bottom of the first, many of the Bleacher Creatures turned their backs on him. When he caught Cody Bellinger's inning-ending flyout in the eighth and tossed the ball in the seats, a fan threw it right back onto the field, prompting cheers.
With the Mets trailing badly, owner Steve Cohen left his second-row seat by the seventh inning.
Yankees fans had wanted Soto to remain in their lineup, hitting second ahead of Aaron Judge. New York acquired Soto from San Diego in December 2023 and he helped them reach the World Series for the first time since 2009. Then he left the Bronx as a free agent after one season in pinstripes for a record $765 million, 15-year contract with the Mets, a team with two World Series titles to the Yankees' 27.
Soto turned down a $760 million, 16-year offer from the Yankees, feeling more appreciated when Cohen included personal security for the outfielder and his family, free use of a luxury suite and up to four premium tickets.
Used to getting nearly every player their team pursued, Yankees fans were enraged.
“It’ll be interesting. I’m sure there’ll be some creativity in there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before the game. “I just want everyone to come and have a good time and be safe and not take things too far.”
Both teams lead their divisions going into the first of six Subway Series matchups this season, the Yankees atop the AL East at 26-18 and the Mets first in the NL East at 28-17.
“This year is unique obviously because of all the news and storylines around Juan the last couple of years, so you understand that ratchets up the intensity of it,” Boone said.
Soto entered with a .255 batting average, eight homers, 20 RBIs and an .845 OPS in 43 games, down from a .313 average, nine homers, 34 RBIs and a .947 OPS through the same number of games last year.
He hit .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 129 walks last year, batting second in the order ahead of Judge in a 21st century version of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Soto hit a go-ahead homer in the AL Championship Series opener against Cleveland and a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the 10th inning that won the pennant against the Guardians in Game 5.
“Juan obviously was only here for a year, but what he was able to do and what he meant for the team last year was huge,” said pitcher Clay Holmes, who followed Soto from the Bronx to Queens. “He’s across town. There’s people that probably don’t like that.”
After losing Soto, the Yankees pivoted and signed Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt, and acquired Devin Williams and Cody Bellinger in trades.
Soto received his first boos about 1 hour, 40 minutes earlier, when he went to right field during batting practice, cap backward in the style of Ken Griffey Jr. The Mets said Soto wouldn’t speak with reporters until after the game.
“I had a pretty good seat back in 2022 when Houston came over here and I felt like the louder the boos got, those guys raised their game,” said Mendoza, a coach for Boone from 2018-23.. “Somebody's able to handle it, it's Juan Soto.”
The Boston Celtics' Jrue Holiday, left, defends the New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson during the first half of Friday’s game.Photograph: Frank Franklin II/AP
It didn’t take long for the New York Knicks to turn their biggest game in a quarter-century into a complete laugher on Friday night.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby scored 23 points apiece as the Knicks eliminated the defending champion Boston Celtics with a 119-81 beatdown in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semi-final series, propelling New York into the last four of the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2000.
The Knicks advance to meet the Indiana Pacers, the same team they faced in each of their previous three trips to the East finals in 1994, 1999 and 2000. Game 1 is Wednesday night in Manhattan.
New York overcame a sloppy opening quarter to lead by as many as 41 points during a non-competitive second half in front of a rollicking, celebrity-flecked crowd that included Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Bad Bunny and Lenny Kravitz. It marked the first time New York closed out a playoff series on their home floor since the strike-shortened season of 1999, when they reached the NBA finals as a No 8 seed.
“I thought from start to finish we were terrific,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said afterwards. “[The Celtics] are a terrific team on both sides of the ball. They play their style no matter what, and so they’re not going to hand you anything. You have to earn it. And I felt we did that.
“But we can’t get carried away. Obviously it’s a great win and we advance. But you also understand that you have to get ready for the next series. We know that Indiana is a terrific team and we’re going to have to be ready.”
Boston’s doomed title defense ended with a whimper uncharacteristic of their team in the Brad Stevens era. The Celtics, who had staved off elimination in the best-of-seven-games series with a convincing Game 5 win, were blown off the floor in a display that lacked the grit, execution and fighting spirit that defined last season’s championship run. Missing Jayson Tatum after his season-ending achilles injury in Game 4, Boston’s depleted supporting cast of Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser struggled to make an impact, failing to score either before or during the Knicks’ decisive 17-4 run that opened up a 33-20 advantage, New York’s biggest lead of the series to that point.
“In Game 5 they got the best of us and we responded tonight,” Brunson said. “We just found a way to keep making plays on the defensive side, the offense was just rolling.”
That surge, sparked by Mikal Bridges’ perimeter shooting and Karl-Anthony Towns’ inside presence, ballooned into a 64-37 half-time advantage. Bridges drained four three-pointers on his way to 22 points, while Towns added 21, dominating Boston’s thin frontline. Josh Hart chipped in with a triple-double of 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, marking New York’s first postseason triple-double since Walt Frazier in 1972.
The Knicks kept their foot on the gas after the break, stretching their lead to as many as 41 points as Boston coach Joe Mazzulla began pulling his starters midway through the third quarter. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 20 points before fouling out before the final period, but his efforts came in isolation as New York’s defense forced Boston into rushed shots and clumsy turnovers. “At the end of the day, we set a goal out, and we didn’t achieve that goal,” Mazzulla said. “But you have to take your hats off to the Knicks. They played a great series and they’ve been great all year, and Thibs is a great coach.
New York shot 46.2% from the field, including 16 of 46 (34.8%) from three-point range following a frigid start. The Knicks also dominated the glass, outrebounding Boston 55-36, while holding the Celtics to just 36% shooting and 29.3% from beyond the arc.
After the final buzzer sounded, fans poured out of Madison Square Garden into the humid Manhattan night to join the awaiting masses along Seventh Avenue, chanting “Knicks in six!” and “Fuck you Boston!” as police barricades struggled to keep the crowds from spilling into traffic. Fire engine horns blared while fans scaled light poles and subway canopies.
New York’s Game 6 demolition was a statement of intent, solidifying their return to the NBA’s elite after decades of mediocrity. It will also rekindle memories of those classic Knicks-Pacers showdowns, with Madison Square Garden now set to host Indiana in a throwback to their bruising battles of the 90s. For the first time in a generation, the Knicks will play a conference final series with genuine aspirations of returning to the NBA summit for the first time since 1973.
“This is great. I mean, the fact that we haven’t been here since my dad was on the team – he’s not gonna like that – but it means a lot to this organization and this city,” Brunson said.
